Frontiers in Marine Science (Jan 2023)

Seaweed restocking along the Chilean coast: History, present, and inspiring recommendations for sustainability

  • Carolina Oyarzo-Miranda,
  • Carolina Oyarzo-Miranda,
  • Ricardo Otaíza,
  • Ricardo Otaíza,
  • Alexis Bellorín,
  • J.M. Alonso Vega,
  • Fadia Tala,
  • Fadia Tala,
  • Fadia Tala,
  • Nelson A. Lagos,
  • Nelson A. Lagos,
  • Fernanda X. Oyarzún,
  • Fernanda X. Oyarzún,
  • Rodrigo A. Estévez,
  • Rodrigo A. Estévez,
  • Rodrigo A. Estévez,
  • Nicolás Latorre-Padilla,
  • Nicolás Latorre-Padilla,
  • Nicolás Latorre-Padilla,
  • Ana María Mora Tapia,
  • Ana María Mora Tapia,
  • Ana María Mora Tapia,
  • Luis Figueroa-Fábrega,
  • Luis Figueroa-Fábrega,
  • Luis Figueroa-Fábrega,
  • Roddy Jara-Yáñez,
  • Roddy Jara-Yáñez,
  • Roddy Jara-Yáñez,
  • Roddy Jara-Yáñez,
  • Cristian Bulboa,
  • Cristian Bulboa,
  • Cristian Bulboa,
  • Loretto Contreras-Porcia,
  • Loretto Contreras-Porcia,
  • Loretto Contreras-Porcia,
  • Loretto Contreras-Porcia

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1062481
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Several seaweed species are commercialized worldwide both due to high demand for food and feed and as a raw material for the extraction of phycocolloids such as agar, carrageenan, and alginates that are used broadly in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Chile is the world’s leading marine seaweed biomass producer when it comes to the exploitation of natural kelp beds. This extraction pressure has persisted for decades and has resulted in a reduction in natural stocks along the benthic ecosystems of the Chilean coast. Over the last three decades, several strategies aimed at restoring seaweed stocks have been implemented (i.e., sexual and asexual reproduction, the use of spore-type propagules or fragments of thalli, and entire thallus transplants). Success rates have varied, but the biological feasibility of such strategies has been demonstrated for several species. However, technological improvements must be achieved to move from small-scale, pilot experiments to cost-effective restocking strategies that are easy to transfer to fisher communities and another end-user, scalable to marine field conditions, and socio-ecologically sustainable. Researchers in other geographic areas have explored similar pathways for developing kelp restocking strategies and have tackled the research gaps regarding its massification. This work summarizes the research activities carried out in recent decades in the search for sustainable strategies to restore algal stocks in Chile.

Keywords